Books For Loss

I highly recommend this general resource for any and all subjects children have questions about, including death and dying. This reference book identifies and responds to common questions with frank, age-appropriate, secular answers, including:

-Why do people have to grow old?-Why do people have to die?-Will I die someday?-What happens when people die?-Does it hurt to die?-Can people who die see and talk with living people after they are gone?-What do we do after a person dies?-Why do people cry when someone dies?-Where do people go after they die?-What is heaven?-What is hell?-Are angels real?-Who is God?

Another must-have for children experiencing grief, this is a thorough, beautiful, and carefully constructed activity book based on decades of research and expertise by those who run the National Center for Grieving Children & Families. It incorporates advice and thoughts from children who have endured the death of a loved one.

A hauntingly beautiful Danish story about Death coming for four children’s beloved grandmother. In this story, Death is personified as a wise and gentle but insistent cloaked figure that may be frightening to some children, so parental discretion is advised. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book.

This book speaks frankly and plainly about death and provides educational responses to children’s common questions. This book is most appropriate for children who are struggling with grief rather than those children who are less in touch with their sadness.

This child self-help workbook is particularly geared toward educators and other professionals to use with children. Each page offers a therapeutic activity to process grief and the accompanying emotions.

This children’s story is “specifically written to calm a child’s fear of being apart from the ones they love,” and explains that even in death, our hearts maintain connection to the hearts of all we love.

This book is appropriate for caregivers, therapists and teachers who want to dive a little deeper into understanding grief through a developmental lens. A bit didactic, this activity book is designed for an adult to use with a child experiencing loss.

A family's guide to a parent's cancer, this book is filled with words of wisdom and experience from family members of all ages. This book is a great guide, exploring different aspects in each chapter such as "Going Through Treatment" and "What I Would Do Differently."

This is an extensive activity book that is "Kid Tested & Approved." It is an expertly curated collection of journal prompts and activities designed to help kids work through complex emotions and "find and create bright moments." This book comes with a set of 5 very large crayons which makes it an incredible value for its price.

A touching, lyrical story of a young boy whose fears are realized when his beloved aging cat dies. With the tender help of his mother, the boy buries and mourns his cat, but over time, finds solace knowing his cat lives on in his heart.

A touching story about the relationship between a growing girl who wishes she could turn back the clock for her aging dog. This book speaks frankly from the child’s perspective about death and the ensuing sadness, but may leave kids feeling rushed as it ends by welcoming a new dog.

A tale of the ghost of a goldfish who seeks out his place in a world of living things, ultimately finding a great place to spend eternity. Simple and lighthearted, this is a nice book for the loss of a fish or any non-cuddly pet.

For Divorce

A general resource for any and all subjects children have questions about, including divorce. This book responds with a paragraph each to “Why do husbands and wives divorce?,” “Who decides which of the divorced parents their children will live with?,” “What is a single parent?,” and “What is a stepmother or stepfather?”

Written by children aged 13 and 15, this “Coping Guide” offers tips and responses to queries from other children of divorce. Revised and updated 10 years later by the sibling authors, the relatable perspective and tips make this book a great choice for preteens and teenagers experiencing divorce.

An exploration of the experience of divorce from the child’s point of view, this book can provide empathetic insight for adults. Written by a pastoral therapist, this book has a dose of spirituality which is contained primarily within one chapter (“The Hour I Spend With God”). This book can be helpful even for the non-religious as it does not permeate the entire book.

This children’s story is “specifically written to calm a child’s fear of being apart from the ones they love,” and explains that even if they are out of sight, our hearts maintain connection to the hearts of all we love.

A nice (but a little outdated) workbook for children who are moving chock full of activities designed to consolidate memories and welcome new adventures. The parents guide at the back of this kids’ workbook has many helpful tips in making the transition as smooth as possible for children.

A young boy copes with sadness and anticipation as he says goodbye to his father and awaits his return from duty. This story incorporates coping strategies and ends with discussion questions and tips to help children manage the absence.

This book explores a pre-teen boy’s feelings of frustration and anger about his father’s military job. With the help of a friend, the boy comes to appreciate the good and important work his father is conducting overseas.

For Foster Care

A great book that captures the varied feelings and experiences of children entering foster care in a straightforward yet gentle exploration. This book is spot-on for all children regardless of the factors necessitating foster care, and is an appropriate for any sender from teacher to foster parent to social worker.

Reiterating the point over and over: "Kids are important. Kids need to be safe," this book's simple and sweet repetition flows almost like a song. This book is great for kids in foster care for any reason, and is a fabulous resource for any adult involved with a foster child with it's brief guide at the end.

Another book that is part of the "Kids are Important" series, this book is especially for children experiencing termination of parental rights. With its gorgeous illustrations and simple language, this book strikes just the right tone with its distinctions between all kinds of different families (birth families, foster families, adoptive families) and includes a resource section for adults.

A simple book for very young children in foster care, this book is most appropriate from the foster parent to the foster child. Featuring a little girl and her foster mother, this illustrates a nurturing and tender relationship.